Dear Friends,
With President Trump continuing to hijack the fight against antisemitism to attack universities, bypass due process and deport foreign students, we’re now deeply worried that senators are about to walk into a trap that will only make things worse.
Let me explain:
There’s broad recognition that antisemitism is on the rise and must be addressed.
The bill up for consideration in the Senate right now – The Antisemitism Awareness Act – is a dangerous step in the wrong direction.
And I’ll be really honest: In a time of rising antisemitism on both the left and the right, we don’t take it lightly to be advocating against something called the “Antisemitism Awareness Act.”
But this bill, while framed as a response to rising antisemitism, risks giving Donald Trump and his allies a powerful new tool to target dissent, silence protest and erode democratic freedoms.
J Street strongly opposes the AAA, and we’re not alone. We’ve joined a broad coalition of Jewish and non-Jewish, pro-democracy, civil liberties groups – and today, we are coming together to show the depth of our concern and commitment to opposing this bill.
Today, J Street, along with nine other Jewish organizations, came together to urge Senators to vote NO, stating that:
“Voting in favor of this legislation in this current political climate would represent an endorsement of the Trump Administration’s escalating efforts to weaponize antisemitism as a pretext for undermining civil rights, deporting political dissidents, and attacking the fundamental pillars of our democracy, making the Jewish community and others less safe.”
The AAA contains none of the critical steps outlined in the 2023 National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism: No funding for community safety. No antisemitism education programs. No Holocaust awareness measures. No National Antisemitism Coordinator. No Interagency Task Force.
Instead, the legislation empowers the federal government to crack down on student protesters on college campuses. It requires the government to use only one definition of antisemitism with a key focus on speech about Israel and greenlights the administration’s ability to use funding threats to coerce universities to comply with their requests.
Even if this power might be used wisely by a good-faith administration, there is no justification for entrusting it to one campaigning on promises to deport dissidents and criminalize protest.
The fight against antisemitism is too important and must be pursued comprehensively. We can’t allow it to be hijacked by an administration that’s attacking the foundations of our democracy.
We must stand together – across communities – to defend both our safety and our democracy.
In a powerful show of cross-community solidarity, we released a joint statement with the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), sending a clear message that:
“Silencing dissent, criminalizing protest and weaponizing identity to justify the erosion of civil liberties do not make our communities safer. On the contrary, they deepen fear, division and authoritarianism – threatening the very principles that allow diverse communities to coexist in freedom and dignity.”
We will not allow our shared struggles against hate to be exploited to justify authoritarian crackdowns.
Please help us get the word out: Forward this message, speak with your networks and stay tuned for advocacy opportunities in the days ahead.
With gratitude and resolve,
Adina Vogel Ayalon
Vice President and Chief of Staff, J Street
